MARKETPLACE ’22 Familiarization Tours N S

1891 1991 Are you ready to ?

In advance of ABA Marketplace 2022, we’re extending a big, Texas-sized welcome to our beautiful, diverse and always-exciting state! We are proud to be a part of this important industry event and can’t wait to share with each of you all the great adventures Texas has to offer.

A trip to Texas is an experience like no other. Not only is there something for everyone, but our countless attractions, from our bustling cities to our wide- open spaces, come with a side of true Texas spirit you can’t get anywhere else.

Experience the true American West and our adventurous way of life (those boots and cowboy hats aren’t just for show). Watch a rodeo, take a trail ride or simply stroll down our historic city streets. Your group will find that in Texas, the spirit of the Old West is alive and well.

Help your nature-loving groups discover the diverse natural beauty of Texas: Take in our breathtaking mountainous national parks and canyons in West Texas, explore the sprawling caves in the Hill Country, paddle through the majestic pines in East Texas or enjoy the more than 600 miles of sparkling coastline. The abundance of natural outdoor beauty will keep them inspired and ready for more.

Here, barbecue is an art. We select the perfect cuts, handcraft our spice rubs and sauces, and carefully tend to the flames. And then, we cook our meat slow. Award-winning barbecue can be found in every city, so delight your clients’ taste buds from food trucks to five-star restaurants.

Texas art and culture aren’t limited to studios and exhibits. In a state with a history as rich and diverse as ours, culture spills into everything we do. Transport your clients to another time and place. Have them follow in the footsteps of explorers, soldiers and generals, missionaries, fellow travelers, traders and families who made this land their home. Our history is alive—embedded in our cities and flourishing at every landmark.

We invite you to visit TravelTexas.com to learn more as you plan for ABA Marketplace 2022 and our offering of FAM trips. With everything Texas has to offer, you’re sure to find adventure at every turn. So let’s make memories that last. Let’s embrace the moment. Let’s Texas.

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1891 1991 TOUR 35 1 Tracks, Snacks & Artifacts through North Texas

Discover the towns of Glen Rose, Cleburne and Waco, just south of the /Fort Worth area. A great addition to any Texas tour with their own unique treasures including dinosaurs, mammoths, Dr Pepper and whisky.

Glen Rose • Cleburne • Waco • January 4–7 Dallas • January 5–7

Tuesday, January 4 Thursday, January 6 Friday, January 7 • Plan your travel to arrive in Grapevine. • Enjoy a driving tour highlighting Hotel shuttle arrangements will be Waco’s landmarks and history including provided homes and sites featured on the • Optional group dinner in Grapevine Magnolia Network • Visit the Armstrong Browning Library Wednesday, January 5 and Museum, housing the largest • Depart Grapevine’s Gaylord Texan collection of the works and personal Resort at 8 a.m. for Glen Rose • Tour a memorabilia collection at the effects of poets Robert and Elizabeth • Experience Fossil Rim Wildlife Center state-of-the-art Gone with the Wind Browning with a special “behind the scenes” tour Remembered Museum • Tour the Dr Pepper Museum & Free • Dine at Snyder’s Tavern in the 100-year- • Discover the historic Chisholm Trail Enterprise Institute and enjoy a Dr old Inn on the River Outdoor Museum Pepper float at the Old Fashioned Soda • Learn about the history of Glen Rose • Enjoy lunch at The Garden of Eating Fountain with a walking tour of Glen Rose Bistro • Have lunch at the Backyard Bar Stage Downtown Square • Experience the Layland Museum of and Grill, located just one block from the • Savor a wine tasting at Bull Lion Ranch History housed in Carnegie Library famous Magnolia Market at the Silos and Vineyard • Enjoy sweets and treats at Mom’s • Enjoy some free time at Magnolia • Tour Barnard’s Mill and Art Museum Kitchen Bakery Market and the local shops in walkable • Visit Dinosaur Valley State Park and • Tour the Johnson County Courthouse Downtown Waco Eagle Eye Ranch Carriage Company Museum • Visit the Waco Mammoth National • Continue to Downtown Cleburne • Visit Johnson County Distillery, home Monument, the largest find of a nursery to enjoy dinner at La Cima Mexican of Jacob Weldon’s Blended Bourbon herd of ice age Columbian mammoths Cuisine and an overnight stay at the Whiskey, a 2018 SIP Award Gold • Enjoy a tour and tasting at Balcones Liberty Hotel Whiskey winner Distilling, Waco’s award-winning craft • Continue on to Waco with a special whisky distillery welcome reception and dinner in the • Enjoy dinner at The Original Buzzard aquarium at Cameron Park Zoo Billy’s overlooking the Brazos River • Overnight stay in Waco • Arrive in Grapevine for the ABA Marketplace by 9 p.m. Take a short stroll at the Dallas Arboretum, have a regal seat at the George W. Bush Presidential Library, admire TOUR 35 Coco Chanel-designed furniture at the , run against a dinosaur at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science and contemplate the sunset from 2 Skyline Views, ’s GeO-Deck. There’s time to explore Dallas’ favorite neighborhoods, listen to jazz and have a chocolate tasting in the Bishop Arts District, or go on a Evening Shows & mural and beer tasting tour in Deep Ellum. You cannot leave the city without savoring Texas BBQ at Pecan Lodge, a slice of sweetness at Emporium Pies and Frozen Margaritas Dallas’ original, the frozen margarita. For some action, get in a round of golf, medieval jousts or an NBA game.

Dallas • January 5–7

Wednesday, January 5 Thursday, January 6 • Plan your travel to arrive this morning • Enjoy breakfast at the Dallas • Honor JFK at the Sixth Floor Museum or Tuesday, January 4 Arboretum and Botanical Garden at • 1 p.m. Meet & Greet at Dallas hotel and STEM activities at the Rory Meyers • Experience magnificent skyline views • Enjoy hi-tech appetizers in the AT&T Children’s Adventure Garden from Reunion Tower’s GeO-Deck Discovery District • Go back in time on Historic Swiss • Have fun at Medieval Times with some • Tour the Dallas Holocaust and Human Avenue jousting and a medieval dinner Rights Museum • Enjoy a decadent dessert at Emporium • Create Instagram moments at the Pies Dallas Museum of Illusions • Experience live music and street art in • Visit the House of Blues for appetizers Deep Ellum and folk art Friday, January 7 • Breakfast at Eataly at NorthPark Center • Sit in the President’s chair at the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum • View dinosaurs, gold and a live brain • Appreciate the architectural wonder of at the Perot Museum of Nature and AT&T Performing Arts Center Science • Dine at Miriams Cocina Latina at Klyde • Enjoy a Bohemian lunch in the Bishop Warren Park Arts District • Take in art, history and Chanel at the • Sip farewell drinks at Revelers Hall Dallas Museum of Art • Arrive in Grapevine for ABA • Time to cheer for Dallas at the • Visit with Miro, Renoir, Picasso and Marketplace by 5 p.m. American Airlines Center more at the Nasher Sculpture Center

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1891 1991 Travel to the Piney Woods of East Texas and find 20 yourself in a place unlike any other in the Lone Star State. Rolling hills, pine forests and magnificent lakes TOUR can be found within this region, where the warmth of FULL STEAM Southern hospitality is alive and well. 3 This tour includes a visit to three unique East Texas towns. Tyler, the “Rose Capital of America,” home into of the largest rose garden in the country. Kilgore, the “City of Stars,” a boomtown with 60 oil derricks Blooms & Booms topped with lighted stars dotting the Kilgore skyline. Palestine, home of the “Official Railroad of Texas.”

Kilgore • Tyler • Palestine • January 3–7

Monday, January 3 Wednesday, January 5 Thursday, January 6 • Plan your travel to arrive in Grapevine. • Visit the Texas Broadcast Museum • Tour the American Freedom Museum Hotel shuttle arrangements will be before departing for Tyler • Tour and tasting at Kiepersol Vineyard, provided • Tyler is the “Rose Capital of America,” Winery & Distillery • Optional group dinner in Grapevine so it’s only fitting that your first stop be • Depart for an afternoon in Palestine the Rose Garden and Museum starting with lunch at Pint & Barrel Tuesday, January 4 • Enjoy shopping and lunch at the Drafthouse • Depart Grapevine at 8 a.m. for Kilgore Potpourri House • Enjoy a historic architecture tour of • Tour the Historic Aviation Memorial Old Town Palestine including a visit to Museum Oxbow Bakery • Shopping and sampling at Sweet • Experience Tahwakaro Distilling Co. Gourmet, a local premier culinary store • Driving tour of Davey Dogwood Park, • Drive the beautiful Historic Azalea/ a 254-acre park which comes alive with Brick Street District Dogwoods blooming each spring • Tour the Rangerette Showcase and • Tour the Texas State Railroad Train Museum displaying the Rangerettes’ Depot in Palestine, home of the “Official vast and storied history Railroad of Texas” • Enjoy lunch at The Back Porch • Dinner and an overnight stay in • Explore the East Texas Oil Museum Palestine housing the authentic recreation of oil discovery and production in the early Friday, January 7 1930s • Tour of Eilenberger’s Bakery in • This evening see the “World’s Richest • Enjoy a murder mystery dinner at the Palestine Acre”, Texas Historical Landmark, with 1859 Goodman-LeGrand House & • Tour the Railroad Heritage Center the oil derricks all lit up Museum • Arrive in Grapevine for ABA • Enjoy dinner and see the “Sweethearts • Overnight in Tyler Marketplace by 1 p.m. of the Gridiron” at the historic Texan Theatre • Overnight stay in Kilgore 27 TOUR 4 The Thriving West

Discover what makes the plains and panhandle of Texas rich in history, agriculture and exquisite cuisine. From canyons and cowboys to winemaking and windmills, this experience will be one you won’t forget.

Amarillo • Lubbock • January 3–7

Monday, January 3 Wednesday, January 5 • Plan your travel to arrive in Amarillo • Enjoy breakfast at Butterlove Biscuits, • Explore Lubbock’s newest world-class this afternoon where you’ll find over 20 flavors of flaky, performing arts center, The Buddy Holly • Optional dinner at Macaroni Joe’s in made-from-scratch buttermilk biscuits Hall of Performing Arts and Sciences Amarillo • Visit Jack Sisemore’s Traveland RV • Enjoy delicious BBQ at E&J Smokehouse Museum and Grill Tuesday, January 4 • Tour the Kwahadi Museum of the • Tour the Silent Wings Museum, devoted • Visit the Panhandle-Plains Historical American Indian, featuring artwork to the World War II military glider pilot Museum, Texas’ largest history museum and artifacts from the Plains and Pueblo program • Experience the country’s second largest Native Americans and home to the • Tour the National Ranching Heritage canyon and home to the outdoor musical famous Kwahadi Dancers Center “Texas,” Palo Duro Canyon State Park • Enjoy lunch at Tyler’s Barbeque, • Savor wines at award-winning • Enjoy lunch at The Big Texan Steak consistently listed in Texas Monthly’s Top McPherson Cellars Ranch 50 barbeque joints • Indulge in Spanish tapas and sangria at • Tour Starlight Ranch Event Center • Visit shops in the Route 66 Historic La Diosa Cellars District • Grab a sweet treat at Pie Bar, one of • Sip locally-made honey wine at Creek Lubbock’s hidden gems House Honey Farm • Depart for Lubbock for dinner and an Friday, January 7 overnight stay • Enjoy a hearty breakfast at Cast Iron Grill • Visit the American Windmill Museum Thursday, January 6 • Get your rock ‘n’ roll on at the Buddy • Stop at Hodgetown, home to the • In Lubbock, enjoy an authentic Holly Center Amarillo Sod Poodles, Minor League chuckwagon breakfast at the FiberMax • Enjoy a final lunch stop atCook’s Baseball Double-A Affiliate of the Arizona Center for Discovery Garage, where classic cars and neon Diamondbacks • Experience the Lubbock Cultural District signs bring the building to life. • Dinner at a delicious local Amarillo with a tour of LHUCA • Arrive in Grapevine for ABA restaurant Marketplace by 7 p.m.

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1891 1991 45 History comes to life in San Antonio. The city’s rich culture offers an authentic glimpse of early TOUR Spanish colonial life in the Southwest. As the first Historical Sites, civilian settlement in Texas, San Antonio de Béxar was founded in 1718. Today, many of the city’s early architectural and cultural elements remain, allowing 5 Tasteful Bites and visitors to see into the city’s storied past first-hand. Our brave old world is your next, new adventure. Join us as we pair historical sites and landmarks with Amazing Nights modern-day events, celebrations and fun.

San Antonio • January 5–7

Wednesday, January 5 Thursday, January 6 Friday, January 7 • Plan your travel to arrive in San • Enjoy breakfast at Schilo’s, serving • Breakfast at The Guenther House Antonio this morning or the night German-Texan Fare Since 1917 before • Take in a guided tour of the historic • Your tour will start with a Meet & Greet Alamo at your host hotel at 1 p.m. • Check out the art, history and culture of the American West at the Briscoe Western Art Museum • Lunch at Mi Tierra, open 24 hours and decorated year round with Christmas decorations and strolling mariachis • Visit and shop at Market Square (El • Enjoy lunch in the skies of San Antonio Mercado), the largest Mexican Market in at Charthouse Restaurant North America • Visit Mission San Jose, “Queen of the • Tour the Tower of Americas • Visit Main Plaza and the San Fernando Missions” • Stroll through Hemisfair Park and La Cathedral, the oldest continually • “Grab and go” lunch at Buc-ee’s Villita operating cathedral sanctuary in the • Arrive in Grapevine for the ABA • Put on your boots and tour the Unites States Marketplace by 5 p.m. Buckhorn Saloon & Museum and The • Hop on a river barge and travel down Texas Ranger Museum the Museum Reach and to visit The • Visit the Menger Bar, where Teddy Pearl Roosevelt is said to have recruited his • Discover the sounds at Jazz, TX Rough Riders • Enjoy a drink at Sternewirth at Hotel • Remember the Alamo with a visit to the Emma Alamo IMAX to view “Alamo, the price • Enjoy breathtaking riverfront views at of Freedom” Dinner at Paesanos Riverwalk • Food. Fun. Music. Let’s discover it all at Hard Rock Cafe 45 Conroe is located just 40 miles north of bustling Houston, but it is a land of beautiful natural resources and unique experiences. Lake Conroe is an outdoor TOUR paradise known for great bass fishing, Texas-sized catfish and home to numerous bird species. During Boots to Flip-Flops, warmer months, people pursue water recreation on 6 the lake or find their inner peace hiking and biking in the ample forests. History abounds in Conroe; Lassos to Lakes museums, monuments and historic buildings bring the area’s history to life.

Conroe • January 12–14

Wednesday, January 12 Thursday, January 13 Friday, January 14 • Depart Grapevine at 9 a.m. • Experience the history of the area with • Visit Lone Star Monument & Historical tours of Downtown Montgomery and Flag Park for a docent-led tour of the Fernland Historical Park 13 flags that have flown over Texas and • View majestic creatures up close at other significant historical events Saint Francis Wolf Sanctuary • Enjoy lunch at one of the oldest • Enjoy lunch with a lakeside view at buildings in downtown Conroe, Pacific Monty’s Lighthouse Cajun Bar & Grill Yard House (formerly Sparkle Ice House) • Tour a Conroe-specific historical • Stroll over to the Gallery at the collection at Heritage Museum of Madeley Building to view the current Montgomery County showing of local artwork • Tour and tasting at Southern Star • Experience history and art in Brewing Company • Enjoy a tour, activities and catered Downtown Conroe • Enjoy a wine tasting and catered dinner lunch at 7D Ranch • Enjoy a brief stroll on a raised with live music at Blue Epiphany • Depart for William P. Hobby Airport boardwalk along the lakefront at Vineyards (HOU) at 2 pm or choose to stay in Waterpoint Marina • After dinner, enjoy live music in Conroe for an additional night and • Dinner and an overnight stay at Downtown Conroe depart at your own leisure Margaritaville Lake Resort, the only • Overnight stay at Margaritaville Lake Margaritaville in Texas Resort • Before heading off to bed, enjoy a bonfire on the shore

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1891 1991 20 TOUR 7 Cowboys, Culture & Cuisine

Ride the Historic Texas Forts Trail, where frontier life required grit and guts and shaped the unique culture only found in West Texas.

Photo: Austin James Abilene • Fort Worth • January 12–14 Houston • January 12–14

Wednesday, January 12 Thursday, January 13 • Depart Grapevine at 8 a.m. • Become a star with a personal tour of • Travel to Abilene, “One of the last the landmark Paramount Theatre places where true west flavor truly • Discover why the Hellcats were one of resides.” – Texas Highways Magazine the most feared fighting machines of • Tour Frontier Texas! One of the few WWII at the 12th Armored Division museums in the world where life-size World War II Memorial Museum holographic figures tell true tales about • Depart for Fort Worth and discover the the hardy folks who lived and died on Modern West Friday, January 14 the Texas Frontier • Visit the Stockyard National Historic • Depart for downtown Sundance Square • Visit The Grace Museum, a beautifully District and meet the Drovers of and visit both the JFK Tribute and the restored 1909 hotel that now offers art, the Fort Worth Herd, see the Texas Plaza history and children’s exhibits Longhorn Cattle Drive and visit the • Enjoy a VIP tour of the legendary • Tour The National Center for beautifully restored Mule Alley Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, Children’s Illustrated Literature, • Learn all about “The Duke” at the John the most authentic western lifestyle featuring original art created for Wayne—An American Experience experience since 1896 Children’s books by some of the exhibit • Visit the National Cowgirl Museum country’s most renowned illustrators • With your hotel in the Stockyards, there and Hall of Fame, which honors • See the art of custom hat making at 5-D will be time to relax and explore the women of the American West who have Custom Hats & Leather area on your own displayed extraordinary courage and • Visit the Taylor County History Center, • Enjoy a Tex-Mex dinner and margaritas pioneering fortitude preserving the heritage of the Texas at Joe T Garcia’s • Learn about the cattle industry and Frontier by telling the story of the last • Tonight, visit the Downtown Cowtown ranch life at the Cattle Raisers 50 years of frontier life as the area Isis Theater and Billy Bob’s Texas—the Museum slowly became “civilized” world’s largest Honky Tonk • Wrap up your tour with lunch on the • Dinner at Perini Ranch Steakhouse, a grounds of the actual rodeo and a tour taste of real Texas in a rustic setting of Dickie’s Arena • Depart for DFW Airport at 3 p.m. TOUR 45 8 Houston: Discover H-Town from Space to the Arts

Houston • January 12–14

Wednesday, January 12 Friday, January 14 • Depart Grapevine at 9 a.m. • Start your day with a bike tour or by • Get settled into your Houston hotel, visiting one of the most prominent which will be located either downtown cultural districts in the country. Your or in the popular Galleria area choice: • Once known as East Downtown, take a Food & Fantastic Art Tour of EaDo, one of Houston’s most popular neighborhoods for fabulous food and great nightlife • This evening, enjoy a true dining experience in Downtown Houston. Explore Avenida Houston and the area’s night life near your hotel • Option 2: Experience the best of the arts, the science and world-class Thursday, January 13 exhibits with the Houston Museum Pass • Discover the wonders of space • Option 1: The Buffalo Bayou and • Depart for one of Houston’s airports, exploration at Space Center Houston Historic Downtown Guided Bike Tour George Bush Intercontinental Airport • Enjoy lunch at the beautiful Kemah will take you along one of Houston’s (IAH) or William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) Boardwalk, with views of the Bay of largest green spaces before heading at 1 p.m. or stay longer and depart at Galveston into downtown to explore Houston’s your own leisure • Following lunch, explore the Kemah roots Boardwalk shops and amusement park, or just relax by the water • Enjoy dinner in Houston’s Uptown District

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1891 1991 For more information about these Tours, please contact

Heather Egan Grapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau 817.410.3561 [email protected]

Gr³pEvinE

GrapevineTexasUSA.com

Buses.org/Marketplace